Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants:Curare Curare is poisonous so was used in tribal history in dart arrows. Curare is also used to relieve spastic paralysis, to treat some mental disorders, and to induce muscle relaxation for setting fractures. Curare is now used extensively in modern medicine, often as a muscle relaxant. It is only toxic if it enters the bloodstream. It is used as an anesthetic ­ it blocks the receptors on the synapse so nerve impulses cannot be transmitted. Curare comes from the plant `Strychnos toxifera'. They produce a deadly sap which is what is used in medicine.Aspirin Aspirin is an analgesic; that is a pain killer and is used to treat pain, inflammation and fever. Aspirin reduces the production of chemicals (called prostaglandins) which cause pain and inflammation. In lower doses, it reduces the stickiness of platelets in the blood and stops clots forming. Aspirin can be used to relieve rheumatic and muscular pain, and other pains such as sprains, strains, backache, headache, toothache and period pain. It can also be used to treat cold and 'flu-like' symptoms and reduce fever in adult. It has been manufactured and marketed since 1899. It is the most widely used drug in the world. It comes from willow bark There is increasing evidence that it reduces the risk of some cancers and pregnancy complications. The chemical name of aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid Aspirin works by reducing the sensitivity of the nerves both at the site of pain and in the central nervous systemQuinineIt is a white powder that is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree that is found in theAndes mountain range of Ecuador and Peru. It has use in medicine for it is the traditionaltreatment for muscle cramps. Quinine can reduce the frequency of muscle cramps for thosewho suffer on a weekly or even daily basis. The way in which quinine helps to reducefrequency and severity of cramps is not known. Quinine is excellent at reducing fevers,which is why it was at one point an anti-malarial drug. Quinine is present in drinks such astonic water and bitter lemon.Artemisinin

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This is a herbal treatment for Parastitic infections. It also protects against some particular types of cancer.It is extracted from the plant Artemesia Annua L, and has been used for centuries to kill parasites,particularly worms. The parasites that they kill are those that are present in all of us, take energyresources and create by products that need to be extracted. Artemisinin has also been proved to treatmalaria in over two million patients.…read more